Velocys plc has partnered with PQ Corporation (PQ) for the supply of commercial quantities of Velocys’ proprietary microchannel Fischer-Tropsch catalyst to be used in multiple biorefineries incorporating its technology.

PQ is a leading global provider of specialty catalysts, services, materials and chemicals for the refinery, emissions control and petrochemical industries.

Catalyst produced by PQ has already been used to successfully produce renewable transportation fuel and other products at ENVIA, the first commercial smaller scale gas-to-liquids plant which incorporates Velocys technology.

In addition, PQ will manufacture the catalyst to be used by Velocys’ licensees as well as by the biorefinery projects that the company is developing with its industry partners, including its US biorefinery that will convert waste woody biomass into 20 million gallons per year of low-carbon transportation fuels and its plant in the UK that will convert waste into sustainable jet fuel.

UK waste-to-jet-fuel project. Velocys earlier announced that £4.9 million (US$6.5 million) of funding has been secured to deliver the next development phase of the waste-to-sustainable jet fuel project that it is developing in the UK.

As part of the funding package a grant of £434,000 (US$572,000) has been secured from the Department for Transport (DfT) under the Future Fuels for Flight and Freight Competition (F4C). The award of this grant, together with ongoing policy support provided by the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, will help this innovative waste-to-fuels project bring jobs and clean growth to the UK. The project is being developed with the financial and technical support of Shell and British Airways.

Velocys will continue to lead the project and has committed £1.5 million (US$2 million) to this next development phase, a significant proportion of which is in the form of an in-kind contribution.

The next stage of the project will be developed by Velocys, Shell and British Airways.

The team is developing the engineering and business case for the construction of a first plant in the UK. Subject to a final investment decision, this plant will take hundreds of thousands of tonnes per year of post-recycled waste, destined for landfill or incineration, and convert it into clean-burning, sustainable fuels.

The jet fuel produced, to be used by British Airways, is expected to deliver over 70% greenhouse gas reduction and 90% reduction in particulate matter emissions compared with conventional jet fuel. This would contribute to both carbon emissions reductions and local air quality improvements around major airports. The project partners expect to reach a final investment decision in the first half of 2020.